Career change
How to change careers in the UK
Do it in order. Be clear about what you are leaving, check what the new job pays and how people get in, test it while you are still earning, then apply with a CV rewritten for the new role. This guide takes each step in turn, with ONS pay figures and the official rules on notice, training time and course funding.
Updated
1. Pin down what you want to change
Write down what is wrong with your job, as precisely as you can. A difficult manager, long hours or low pay can often be fixed by moving employer or changing your hours, without changing career. A new career makes sense when the work itself is the problem: the tasks, the setting or the people you serve.
Then write down what you want to keep. It might be your pay, your pension, working with people, or a skill you are proud of. The two lists become the test for every option you look at.
If hours are the main problem, try asking first. Every employee has the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a job, covering the hours, days and place they work (GOV.UK). If you are not sure what is wrong, our guide for people who hate their job goes through it in more detail.
2. List what you can already do
Ignore your job title. List the tasks you do every week and the results you can prove, then name the skill behind each one. “Dealt with complaints from parents” is handling difficult conversations. “Ran the staff rota” is scheduling and people management. “Rebuilt the stock spreadsheet” is working with data.
Note any result you can put a number on from your own work: a budget you managed, people you trained, a target you hit. Those go on your CV later. Our transferable skills guide gives the wording employers use for common skills.
3. Check the pay and the way in
Before you spend money on training, check two things for each job on your list: what it pays, and how people normally get in. For comparison, the UK median for full-time employee jobs was £39,039 in the tax year to April 2025.
| Job | Median pay | Lower quarter | An apprenticeship route in (England) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project manager | £59,834 | £46,399 | Associate project manager, level 4, typically 18 months |
| Business analyst | £53,295 | £40,202 | Business analyst, level 4, typically 18 months |
| Compliance officer | £50,083 | £37,854 | Compliance and risk officer, level 3, typically 15 months |
| Health and safety adviser | £46,444 | £37,925 | Safety, health and environment technician, level 3, typically 24 months |
| HGV driver | £39,905 | £33,749 | Large goods vehicle (LGV) driver C + E, level 2, typically 13 months |
| Electrician | £39,647 | £32,287 | Domestic electrician, level 3, typically 36 months |
| Data analyst | £38,572 | £30,835 | Data technician, level 3, typically 24 months |
| Business sales executive | £37,924 | £30,244 | Sales executive, level 4, typically 18 months |
| Learning and development adviser | £36,357 | £29,544 | Learning and development practitioner, level 3, typically 18 months |
| ParalegalONS codes paralegals with legal professionals not elsewhere classified, a group that also includes legal executives and conveyancers. | £35,507 | £26,740 | Paralegal, level 3, typically 24 months |
| HR officer | £35,194 | £29,116 | HR support, level 3, typically 18 months |
| Recruitment consultant | £35,194 | £29,116 | Recruiter, level 3, typically 18 months |
| IT support technician | £35,128 | £29,206 | Information communications technician, level 3, typically 18 months |
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2025 (provisional), Table 14.7a, published . Median gross annual pay for full-time employee jobs in the UK, tax year ending 5 April 2025. Figures are for whole SOC 2020 occupation groups and exclude the self-employed.
Source: Skills England, apprenticeship standards. Checked 28 September 2026. Typical durations are as Skills England publishes them. Apprenticeship standards apply in England.
The median covers everyone in the group, from new starters to people with decades of experience, so plan with the lower quarter figure as well. ONS figures are for the whole UK and for employees only; they do not show what employers near you pay or how many vacancies there are. For that, search live vacancies and read the entry requirements on the job's National Careers Service profile.
4. Close the gap: training and funding
Check what the job actually asks for before you pay for anything. Some need only a short course; others need a licence or registration. These are the main routes for adults in England, as GOV.UK describes them today.
| Route | Who it is for | Pay or cost | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprenticeship | Anyone aged 16 or over. You are an employee, and at least 20% of your normal working hours go on training. Apprenticeships take from 8 months to 6 years. | You are paid a wage. The legal minimum is £8.00 an hour if you are under 19 or in the first year of the apprenticeship; after that it is the minimum wage for your age (£12.71 an hour at 21 and over, from April 2026). | GOV.UK: become an apprentice; minimum wage rates |
| Skills Bootcamp | Aged 19 or over and living in England. Courses last up to 16 weeks, most need no previous knowledge of the subject, and you are guaranteed a job interview with an employer at the end. | Free if you take the course yourself rather than through your employer. | Skills for Careers; JobHelp (DWP) |
| Free Courses for Jobs | Aged 19 or over and earning below £25,750 a year, or unemployed. Some areas set slightly different limits. | A level 3 qualification in a listed subject, or level 2 in construction, engineering or manufacturing, with the course fees paid by the government. | GOV.UK, updated 29 July 2025 |
| Advanced Learner Loan | Aged 19 or over on the first day of a level 3, 4, 5 or 6 course at an approved college or provider in England. There is no income check or credit check. | A loan you repay once your income is over the repayment threshold. Level 4 to 6 courses starting on or after 1 January 2027 are funded through the Lifelong Learning Entitlement instead. | GOV.UK: Advanced Learner Loan |
| Time off to train | Employees with at least 26 weeks' service, at an organisation with 250 or more staff, can ask for time off for training that helps them do their job better. | Usually unpaid, unless your employer agrees to pay. | GOV.UK: training and study at work |
Sources: GOV.UK and Department for Education pages linked in each row. Checked 28 September 2026.
If you claim Universal Credit, GOV.UK says many claimants can take full-time training for up to 16 weeks and keep claiming; your local Jobcentre Plus can advise. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the funding schemes are different: start with My World of Work, Careers Wales or nidirect careers. Our guides to apprenticeships for adults and changing career with no money go further.
5. Test the move before you leave
- Talk to people who do the job. Ask two or three what a normal week looks like, what they wish they had known and how they got in. Your own contacts, professional bodies and LinkedIn are the usual places to find them.
- Try the work in a small way. A short course, a project at your current employer, a day of shadowing or some volunteering. GOV.UK lists places to find volunteering opportunities.
- Work out your money gap. Compare your take-home pay now with what you would take home at the lower quarter figure for the new job, and how many months of savings would cover the difference while you retrain.
- Check your notice period before you resign. The legal minimum is one week once you have been in a job for more than a month, but your contract can ask for more, and leaving early can breach it (GOV.UK).
6. Apply with a rewritten CV
Write your CV for the job you want, not the job you have: a short profile, a skills section that uses the advert's own wording, then your work history with real results. Our career change CV guide has the structure and example lines.
Some employers assess skills directly. The Civil Service asks candidates for examples of set behaviours and says the examples can come from work, work experience, volunteering or a hobby (Success Profiles candidate overview, updated 29 January 2025). Our guide to skills-based hiring explains how to prepare for that kind of assessment.
Apply for fewer jobs, more carefully. Rewrite the top third of your CV and your cover letter for each advert so the reader can see the match without working it out.
Free careers advice
In England, the National Careers Service website has a skills assessment, job profiles and a course finder. From 1 October 2026 it is renamed “Get careers information and advice” at the same address, and one-to-one advice for adults moves to the Department for Work and Pensions: anyone aged 18 or over can contact the DWP Careers Service for a careers adviser (National Careers Service).
In Scotland use My World of Work, in Wales Careers Wales, and in Northern Ireland nidirect careers.
Common questions
How long does a career change take?
It depends on the route. The fixed timings are course lengths: Skills Bootcamps last up to 16 weeks and apprenticeships take from 8 months to 6 years, according to GOV.UK. If the new job needs no new qualification, the time is whatever your job search takes.
Will I have to take a pay cut to change career?
Not always, but plan for one. Compare the ONS median for the new job with what you earn now, then look at the lower quarter as well, because the median includes people with years of experience. For project managers, for example, the ONS full-time median is £59,834, but a quarter of full-time jobs in that group pay less than £46,399 (ONS ASHE 2025).
Can I start an apprenticeship as an adult?
Yes. In England you need to be 16 or over to start one. The apprentice minimum wage (£8.00 an hour from April 2026) only applies if you are under 19 or in the first year of your apprenticeship. After that you must get at least the minimum wage for your age, which is £12.71 an hour if you are 21 or over.
How much notice do I have to give when I leave?
At least one week if you have been in the job for more than a month, according to GOV.UK. Your contract can require more, and it may say the notice must be in writing. Check it before you resign.
Can I ask my employer for time off to retrain?
If you are an employee with at least 26 weeks' service and your organisation has 250 or more staff, you can ask for time off for training that helps you do your job better, so it may not cover training for a different career. It is usually unpaid unless your employer agrees to pay. You can also ask for flexible working from your first day in a job, for example to fit in a course.
Where can I get free careers advice?
In England, the National Careers Service website has a skills assessment and course finder. From 1 October 2026 one-to-one advice for adults is given by the DWP Careers Service, open to anyone aged 18 or over. Scotland has My World of Work, Wales has Careers Wales and Northern Ireland has nidirect careers.
National Minimum Wage rates from GOV.UK. UK median from the ONS ASHE 2025 bulletin, published 23 October 2025. All other pages checked on 28 September 2026.